My Life As The Dauphin

Uaigneas Agus Morair Bothwell

I DO NOT OWN REIGN. I HAVE DECIDED TO PRESS ON AS BEST I CAN BECAUSE I AND OTHERS BELIEVE IN THIS STORY.

Craigmillar Castle. Edinburgh, Kingdom of Scotland. 3 weeks later.

Now that the date for the coronation was set for the end of the month, I was busier than ever. I was being fitted for some Scottish royal gowns as well as for the crown that had been made for me. Unfortunately, I was alone for the most part during this time. Mary was still dealing with the issues of government as well as the Protestant presence in Scotland which has grown considerable in the time she had been away. Bash and Kenna had taken their leave from court to inspect their holdings; as had Leith. However, they assured us that they would return in time for my coronation.

I had not heard a reply from Lola since I replied to her letter. I presumed that her letter to me had just been an act of closure and now that she had received it, she could put me in the past along with Colin and the hatred towards Mary that he had put in her heart. I couldn't help but be disappointed though.

Despite everything she'd done, I still cared for her as a friend; as shitty as it makes me feel, a part of me enjoyed the feeling of her touch and her lips. The only thing that sickened me was the idea of cheating on Mary. If she wasn't my wife, I could have seen a future with Lola or even Olivia, before I spurned her like a 2 dollar whore.

I did receive letters from Princess Claude though. She regularly kept me informed of how Catherine tormented her. Now that I was gone, the serpent queen focused on her other child. It made me feel like shit for abandoning my false sister to that wicked bitch. I had been so focused on following Mary to Scotland, that I hadn't thought about the larger consequences of my leaving.

This loneliness that I felt was I decided to move the timeline forward a little in a way that I felt was harmless. I decided to bring David Rizzio to Scotland 3 seasons early. Mary and I were going to need all the loyal friends that we could find and From what I remembered of the research I had done on him, at this point, he was a guest at the court of the Duke of Savoy. I wrote a letter to David, requesting his presence at Scottish Court. I had to lie and claim that I was in awe of his economic expertise and his musical skill. I couldn't very well tell him about the show, could I?

For this mission, I would have preferred to have Bash and his riding skills; but he was establishing his new Duchy with Kenna. So I had a rider to get to Savoy and hopefully bring David back with him.

Meanwhile, Mary was spending more time with Lord Bothwell as he met with her to discuss the current issue that were affecting Scotland. I couldn't help but feel concerned because I knew that in the show, Mary left that piece of shit Darnley for him.

Now, before you go calling me a hypocrite, I wasn't worried that Mary was going to jump his bones every chance she got. I'm just saying that in consideration of what had happened both in history and in the show, I had the right to be a tad concerned about Bothwell's interest in my wife.

I eventually got a chance to speak to my competitor after a privy council meeting. Mary was being approached by the Earl of Argyll about a motion to build some new roads near Kinross, so I decided to formally introduce myself to Lord Bothwell.

"Milord, I was hoping that we could formally be introduced." I said as James Hepburn gave me a polite bow of the head.

"Your highness, what an honor it is to formally make your acquaintance." Lord Bothwell said as I could tell right off the bat from the look in his eyes and the tone of his voice that he didn't think a whole lot of me.

"I trust that you have been aiding my wife in her Queenly duties?" I asked as I tried to keep a poker face.

"Queen Mary is my primary concern. I will always be on hand to provide whatever assistance is required; unlike others." He answered as I could tell that the son of a bitch was baiting me...and it worked.

"Is your Grace referring to me?" I inquired with an annoyed tone of voice.

"I am referring to your country. I feel that Marie de Guise forced this country into a piss poor alliance." Bothwell declared as he looked me in the eyes. "Scotland has always kept its promises, but whenever we ask France for the aid it promised us, it is as pulling teeth."

"And you think that this pleases me?" I asked as quietly as I could while still letting this jerk know that i wasn't going to take his bullshit. "I have fought hard to ensure that France keeps its promises. Why do you think that I spent over a week, getting sea sick, puking my fucking guts out on a leaky schooner in the middle of storm to come here? I care about Scotland and I care about Mary."

"You are a Frenchman by birth, you will ultimately put your nations ahead of your wife's. She needs a man she can trust to put her first." Bothwell shot back.

"Would that be you?" I asked pointedly as I leaned in close. "Is your grievance with me purely patriotic or do you just want to bed my wife?"

"If Queen Mary ever tires of having a boy king consort, she would find a man more than willing to love her properly." He replied with a wink as he walked past me as I could hardly comprehend the stones on that piece of shit. Now I had to worry about Bothwell trying to seduce Mary and I didn't need this stress on top of everything else.

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